Dana White is looking crazy again, as another fighter whose growth he couldn’t stop manifested his plan outside the UFC. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou landed his dream fight against Tyson Fury.
The event will be a boxing match for the MMA fighter against the undefeated lineal and WBC heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday, October 28, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an epic showdown between two giants of their fields following the opening of the months-long Riyadh Season sports and entertainment festival in the Persian Gulf nation.
Titled “Baddest Man on the Planet,” the fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with three judges ringside adopting the 10-point must system. However, both fighters promise to meet in the middle of the ring and win by knockout.
Who Is The Baddest Man On The Planet?
“As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away!” said Tyson Fury in a statement. “This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK. I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. I’m looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft.
“Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the (Dillian) Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me, and you’ll all see that in devastating fashion on October 28. It’s going to be a fight for the ages. Get up!”
The fight was created through an agreement with Queensberry, Top Rank, and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions, partnering with Riyadh Season to host the event.
The world will discover who can rightly claim the title of “Baddest Man on the Planet” in the capital of the Kingdom when “The Gypsy King” goes up against “The Predator” to determine the true heavyweight king.
Francis’ Way
“I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years,” said Ngannou. “My dream was always to box and to box the best. After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet. All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep.”
In May, “The Predator” signed a historic deal with the Professional Fighters League after leaving the UFC as a champion. Ngannou receives “just shy” of eight figures for each fight on the two to three-fight deal and ensures his opponents make $2 million a fight.
Ngannou also has total control over his sponsors and a salary as a PFL brand ambassador, and the ability to take boxing matches with no promotional consequences, like fellow PFL fighter Claressa Shields, is immensely beneficial.
The fight game and free agency in mixed martial arts have changed the opportunities for MMA fighters. Francis Ngannou is continuing the path blazed by Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor, and now more UFC fighters might realize the power they have.
